Friday, August 24, 2007

What really on your mind?

Alright! What is really on my mind? I have been asking myself if I should continue with the dates I've set for Clay Continent. I am certain that I want to do theatre. That storytelling is why I returned to this town from my short one year stint in Atlanta. But, is November too soon? I've got 2 great guys who have committed to the project, but I still need more folks in order for us to make this thing work. And there are the production elements all of which I'm sure will come together, but I'm asking myself...is that enough? Do I just want these items to merely come together or do I want to elevate my game? There is the issue of money. Sure one of the reason i picked this show aside from loving it, is that it can be done on the cheap, but don't I still have other obligations financially that need to address before I put a show up? Like ummmm furniture and getting my stuff out of storage in Atlanta up here to c-town?

But then I have this voice, this demon that is telling me that backing down from those dates even though I don't have a contract of what have you is some sort of loss, some sort of failure. Why can't I simply say to myself no...I'm going to wait until a time when I can do this the right way rather than risk doing it in a half ass way...I got to do this right way...

I don't know, any comments or thoughts from folks who know me or know of others in similar points in their life would be greatly appreciated.

6 comments:

This is exactly why I'm taking a break from creative pursuits right now, Bob: I've got some more pressing issues on my plate, and if I throw "gettin' my art on" on top of it all, I'm only gonna half-ass it all.

Call your shots. They're worth your full attention. There will be plenty of time/money to put up a show after this imaginary deadline has passed.

I know what you're going through ... I'm going to give you advice straight from any woman's magazine you might want to browse through ... it's ok to say no. That doesn't mean you won't do it later, but if you're feeling like now's not the time, don't obligate yourself to do it.

I know that if you do do it, it'll be great, but don't worry too much if you push it back ... it'll still be great and, as Don even said in his producing class ... if it's good, you can take time with it. Put it up when you feel ready.

Either way, you've started on the path of reestablishing yourself here in Chicago and you should feel good about that ... your audiences will still be looking forward to the show whether it's in November or further down the road.

It's a tough call. Jenn and I went back and forth on it quite a bit with the arrival of the little one.

What we realized was: there will never be enough money. Hell, The Goodman complains about not having enough money. There will never be enough time either--no matter how long we wait. That doesn't mean the show has to be half-assed.

On the other hand, (a question only you can answer) are you unsure if it's the right show, for right now? Would it be different if it was a show you hadn't worked on before?

Is it a question of money/time, or a question of more manpower, or simply whether or not you want to do this show right now? (Manpower can be raised much easier than willpower.)

I'm gonna be that annoying guy with the 'yes and no' answer, he said with an embarrassed shrug.

The others are right -- if the timing doesn't feel right, the timing very easily might not be right. Don't be afraid to tell that nagging voice to fuck off every now and again.

At the same time, there will always be financial obligations that, rationally speaking, should take preference. And waiting until you can do something the right way is a slippery slope -- there is a certain point where the 'right way' is only a matter of sculpting the way at your disposal.

Of course it isn't a failure if you set Clay Continent aside for a more suited date. But if you do follow through with it, feel free to tap me for assistance in whatever aspect you might need, even if it's only moral support.

But, I think there is a difference between wishing you had a bigger budget and fearing you might not be able to cash checks you might write.

If i press forward, I could do the show put the bulk of the financial resource into making the show I want and maybe even pull it off, but not have enough money to adequately promote. Or do a bare bones production and properly promote.

I just dont want to come out of the gate my second time in a half ass fashion.

Now mind you I still have all my furntiure and the majority of my possessions in a storage facility in ATL. It will take me approx 1000 dollars to move this back up to c-town. And it costs me 100.00 dollars every month it stays in ATL. Included in that ATL storage is a hard drive with all the past promotional materials for previous productions, sound effects, etc from the first two showings of Clay Continent. It would be great to half those things before the show opens.

Also, If I wait until say March..i could do a full run of the show (4 to 8 weeks) as opposed to this shorter run in November (4 performances)

I appreciate everybody's 2 cent on the matter. I think I'm going to follow my instincts and open in March rather than November.

Yeah, you're right there's a big difference between "enough" and enough to cover checks, especially if wanting to do another show afterwards. Sounds like a good thing to wait a bit and circle the wagons.